Physical and nutritional properties of hawthorn fruit (Crataegus pontica L.)

Abstract

Hawthorn, from Rosaceae family, is one of the important forest fruits which there are different species in Iran. In this study, some characteristics of hawthorn fruit (Crataegus pontica), including physical properties (fruit length, width, thickness, geometric, arithmetic and equivalent mean diameter, surface area, sphericity, aspect ratio, thousand fruit mass and true density) and nutritional properties (total dry matter, total soluble solid, titratable acidity and moisture content) were considered. Results showed that average of fruit length, width and thickness were 1.53 mm, 1.95 mm and 1.78 mm, respectively. The geometric mean diameter was same to arithmetic mean diameter (1.75 mm), while equivalent mean diameter was higher than both (1.76 mm). Some physical properties such as sphericity (1.13 %), surface area (1.69 mm) and aspect ratio (1.26) were determined. Average of 100 fruit weight in this species was 306.54 g and it is estimated 3.06 g for one fruit. Total soluble solid percent (TSS) and titratable acidity percent (TA) of fruit hawthorn were estimated 18.7 % and 1.71 %, respectively.